Electric controller



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

E. A. SPBRRY. BLEcTnIc CONTROLLER.

N0. 577,081. Patented Feb. 16, 1897.

(lo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. A. SPERRY. ELECTRIC coNTRoLLER.

No. 577,081. Patented Peb. 16, 1897.

Vn-plessis.' INVENTUR.

04mm. *Ww-@WM mum-the amount of reversing-switch usually situated in the rightg der, as are also those 4o UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER A. SPERRY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC CO NTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming parl: of Letters Patent N0. 577,081, dated February 16, 1897. Application led 3Pm0r 21, 1896. Serial No. 606.489. (lo model.)

7' M whom it may concern: l brushes which engage with the reversing- Beit known that I, ELMER A. SPERRY, a citiswitch contacts are adapted to move with the zen of the United States, residing at Clevel brushes as they are raised or lowered to enland, conntyof Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, have i gage with the contacts on the cylinder. invented certain new and useful Improve- 'lhe brushes for the reversing-switch are ments in Electric Controllers, (Case D, 330,) i mounted on an insulating-support, which is of which the following is a specification. g moved up and down by means of a parallel- The present invention relates to electric I motion device operated bya suitable handle. controllers, and has for its objects to simplify f To prevent the reversing-switch from being their construction and to reduce toa minig operated when the circuit is completed, an

permanent wiring reinterlock is provided between the switch and quired in the controller-casing. This is aci' the controller-cylinder, which permits the complished by dispensing with the separate 5 brushes to be moved only when the commutating-cylinder is in the o position.

j For thc purpose of mounting a short contact or contacts extending between other contacts lugs are cast either upon the hub of the cylinder or upon the arms, to which the contacts are secured, they being provided with suitable insulation.

In the accompanying drawings, attached to and made part of this specification, Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of a controller embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view with thc cover iemoved. Fig. 4 is a detail of a contact-brush. Fig. 5 is a view showing the contact-brushes in their upper position. Figs. 6 to 14, inclusive, are detail views of contacts and means for mounting the same; and Fig. 15 is a diagram of the connections of the reversing-switch.

Inside of the casing A is vided with contacts B' for establishing various circuit connections. The cylinder shown is adapted to con trol the dynamo-electric machine when used for propelling and braking purposes, that is, it is provided witha double set of contacts, those on the left of the off position beingfor braking purposes and those on the right for power. The cylinder B'is mounted on a. shaft C, ywhich is provided with suitable bearings. To insure the step-bystep movement of the cylinder, a star-wheel D is also mounted on the shaft and provided with two sets of notches, one set on either side of the off or center position, while engaging therewith is a lug D', provided with a frichand side of the case and mounting the reversing-switch contacts directly upon the commutatingcylinder.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the brushes of the reversing-switch so that they are movable in a direction parallel to the axis of the commutating-cylinder and to provide each of them with a movable blowout magnet and arc-dellector.

The commutating switch-cylinder of a controller is usually made of metal divided electrically into two or more parts, and it is sometimes necessary to extend the contacts of one part between the contacts of another. This causes considerable trouble on account of the insulation.` One object of the present invention is to provide means for supporting the contacts which extend between other contacts of the same or different potential and at the same time insulate them in a suitable manner. Certain details of construction are also designed to be covered by my claims.

In carryingout the invention the usual contacts are mounted on the controller-cylinused for the reversingswitch. The present controller being designed for a single motor, three rows are shown, the brushes engaging with the middle and top rows when the vehicle vis being propelled forward and with the middle and lower rows when running backward. Y

The contact-brushes are so constructed that a separate magnetic field is provided for each brush, as described in my Patent No. v537,130,

a cylinder B, prodated April 9, 1895. In addition to this they tion-roller and spring D2. are separated from one another by arc de- A contact-brush E is provided for each row ileetors or chutes. The arc-dqiiectors for the of contacts B' on the cylinder B. These are separated one from the other by means of an arc-detlector consisting of anumber of chutes formed by the vertical piece E, and the transverse pieces E". Each brush constitutes a blow-out magnet.

Referring to Fig. 4, thc iron core e is sccured to the base by a suitable spring e' and is insulated therefrom. ll-'ound around the core, but insulated therefrom, is a flat conductor e?, secured at one end to the base and i at the other to the metal piece forming the electrode. To prevent the arc from jumping to the flat conductor e3, an arc-deliector e, carried by the core e, is employed. Thisis preferably made of some refractory material.

The upper three rows of contacts are utilized for the reversing-switch. In case two or more motors are used the number of rows of contacts would be increased, but as the operation of the switch is the same it willbe unnecessary to describe it.

The brushes F and F' may be of the construction shown in Fig. 4 and are adapted to engage with the middle and lower contacts of the reversing-switch, or the middle and upper contact-s, the former establishing connections of the motor-armature causing it to rotate in one direction and the latter in the opposite. The brushes are inclosed in separate chutes and are mounted on the insulating-base F2. This is moved up and down by means of the arms f and f', constitntinga parallel-motion device and actuated by the E handle G. The base F2 is made of wood or other insulating material and provided on the left-hand edge with a plate ff, which engages with a lug cast on the back of the con- Holler-casing. This permits the base F2 to slide in a vertical direction. Extending from the base F2 through the back of the casing A are two stndsfi. These are provided with nuts and a connecting-platefand are adapted to move in a vertical direction,actuated by the armsf and f' of the parallel-motion device.

In the star-wheel D is a notch H,which in the off position of the cylinder stands directly over the lug H', mounted on the insulatingbase F. This isso arranged that it can pass upward through the notch in this position, but when the star-wheel is in a position other than the one shown it will engage either the top or bottom side of the star-wheel and the reversing-switch cannot be operated. Engaging with the lug H' is a spring-pressed plunger Il?. This is arranged to work above and below the center of its support, so as to hold the contact-brushes F F' in their upper and lower positions.

Fig. 5 shows the reversing-switch contactbrushes F and F' moved upward sothat they engage with the middle and upper rows of the reversing-switch contacts, and the luc,r H' occupies a position above the star-wheel D.

The transverse pieces E2 vof the arc-deiiector are made as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The projecting pieces Es extend inward toward the hub of the cylinder, protecting the l contacts from injury by arcing, a space being g left between the power and brake contacts, as shown in Fig. 2. The pieces are moved up l and down -with the brushes F and F'. It will l be seen that each reversing-switch brush is z provided with a movable blow-out magnet and also an arc-detlector, so that the maximum etect is obtained at all times. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views ot means for f supporting short contacts. The contacts n, b, c, and d are carried by separate parts of l the cylinder diering in their electrical relation. The shaft C is surrounded with insu- '1 lation C', outside of which is the hub of the cylinder B, which, on account of the relation which certain of the contact-rings bear to each other, is divided electrically into parts l by means of the insulating-rings Cl C3. The hub of the cylinder B is cast with a projection h, upon which the contacts d are mounted, and insulated therefrom. The contactplates being secured to their support by means of screws, can be readily detached incase they become worn or injured by sparking and l new ones inserted in their places. Figs. S and 9 show a construction similar to the one above described, except that each support has a single contact secured thereto, i andthe projection h on the hub of the cylini, der B furnishes a support. for two electrically- '5 separate contacts. l In Figs. 10 and 11 is shown a moditication in which the hub of the cylinder B is pro l vided with spokes or projections i, to which are secured by screws or other suitable means pieces j. The latter are provided with spring ends adapted to clamp the pins k, projecting downward from the contacts. Between the pins k and the pieces j are pieces of tubular insulation l, provided with enlarged heads. To remove the contact, the screws 'm m' are released. A new contact may then be inserted in its place. It is very desirable to be able to replace contacts either on account of wear or because it is necessary to change their length. By my invention I am enabled to change the entire relation of the motor-circuit without removing the cylinder.

Figs. 12, 13 and 14 show contacts mounted like those previously described, except that the lugs supporting the short contacts are cast integral with the arms supporting the main contacts.

Fig. 15 illustrates the connections of the reraising-switch. ThebrushesFF'areadapted to engage with contacts 3 and 2 when the car is to be propelled inoue direction, and with 2 and 1 when in the opposite.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Stat, is-

1. In an electric controller, the combination of a cylinder provided with contacts for establishing various connections of the motor-circuits, brushes engaging with the contacts, and means for changing the relation between the brushes and the contacts on the IOO IIO

between the brushes and IO cylinder by a movement of one relative to the other in a direction transverse to the plane of rotation of the cylinder.

2. In an electric controller, the combination of a reversing-switch cylinder, brushes engaging therewith, an arc extinguishing means, a separate inclosing chute for each brush, and means for changing the relation magnet, and the switch-cylinder.

3. In an electric controller, the combination of a cylinder provided with contact-rings for establishing various circuit relations of the motor, brushes engaging with the rings, and means formoving certain of the brushes so that they will engage with different contact-rings.

4. In a reversing-switch for an electric motor, the combination of a number of contactrings mounted on a cylinder, brushes engaging with the rings, and a. parallel-motion device for shifting the brushes.

5. In a reversing-switch for an electric motor, the combination of a. number of contactrings mounted on a cylinder, a number of brushes less than that of the rings engaging therewith, and means for moving the brushes in a direction parallel to the axis of the cylparallel to the axis of the i nder.

6. In a controller, the combination of a contact-cylinder, brushes engaging therewith,

means for moving the brushes in a direction blow-out magnet for each brush.

7. In a controller, the combination of a con- Y troller-cylinder. brushes engaging therewith,

and a separate blow-out magnet and inclosing chute for each brush.

In a controller, the combination of a switch-cylinder, contacts on the cylinder for i sition above or below cylinder, and a i mounted on the lugs and insulated therefrom.

'changing the motor connections reversingswitch contacts also mounted on the cylinder and adapted to move therewith, brushes engaging with the contacts, and means for moving certain of the brushes in a direction parallel to the axis of the cylinder for the purposeof reversing the armature connections.

9. Ina controller, the combination of a contact-cylinder, a disk mounted on the shaft of the cylinder and provided with a slot, a lug carried by the brushsupport and registering with the slot when the cylinder is in its o6 position, and means for holding the lug in pothe disk.

10. In an electric controller, the combination of a contact-cylinder, a rcversing-switch,

brushes and contacts therefor, a disk carried by the shaft of the contact-cylinder and provided with a slot, a lug actuated by the reversing-switch adapted to pass through the slot when the contact-cylinder is in the ot position, and to engage with the top or bottom of the disk when the contact-cylinder is in other than its 0E 11. In an electric controller, the combination of a metal cylinder divided electrically into sections, and contacts removably secured to a section extending between the contacts of another section.

12. In an electric controller, the combination of a metal cylinder divided electrically into sections, lugs cast on the hub or permanent parts of the cylinder, and contacts In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of September, 1896.

ELMER A. SPERRY. Witnesses:

WALTER Karren, J. CnrNNocK. 

